Priority 2: Grow Global Indiana through Economic and Workforce Development
To compete nationally and internationally, Indiana must have a workforce that can engage globally, communicate across cultures, and work with diverse groups of people. Indiana can build a global workforce in two ways; through home-grown talent or by importing it from other states and countries. The best solution is to do both.
To increase their global economic competitiveness, businesses and sectors will require tailored solutions to enhance global trade and be successful in import and export markets. To sustain a globally competent workforce, Indiana workers will require opportunities for continued growth through on-going programs to increase linguistic and cultural capabilities. Indiana must present itself as a welcoming state where international companies want to invest their capital and where people from around the world can come, contribute, and build prosperous lives. All Hoosiers must be supported to maximize their chances to thrive and contribute to the state’s prosperity.
2.1 STRENGTHEN THE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR GLOBAL EMPLOYABILITY
The Indiana Language Roadmap recognizes that the intersection of economic development and a multilingual and globally competent workforce is required for a wide range of sectors to successfully provide services, attract talent, retain qualified employees, and succeed in importing, exporting, manufacturing, trade, service, and finance.
2.2 TRAIN SERVICE PROVIDERS
As Indiana becomes more welcoming to international businesses and citizens of the world, it will need to strengthen the capacity of Hoosier service providers, including law enforcement, the justice system, healthcare, social services, and local school systems. To bridge gaps in professional programs and professional development, Indiana’s workforce needs to utilize services that teach intercultural and cross-language competencies.
2.3 ADVANCE THE GLOBAL BUSINESS CAPACITY OF INDIANA
There is uneven support across the state to advance the priorities of businesses by expanding into new global markets, increasing international operations, and enhancing the capabilities of employees through greater access to needed resources, training, and expertise. By creating an environment that values a globally competent workforce and offers services and a comprehensive quality of place for diverse populations, Indiana can better attract and retain foreign owned businesses and those with foreign direct investment.
To compete nationally and internationally, Indiana must have a workforce that can engage globally, communicate across cultures, and work with diverse groups of people. Indiana can build a global workforce in two ways; through home-grown talent or by importing it from other states and countries. The best solution is to do both.
To increase their global economic competitiveness, businesses and sectors will require tailored solutions to enhance global trade and be successful in import and export markets. To sustain a globally competent workforce, Indiana workers will require opportunities for continued growth through on-going programs to increase linguistic and cultural capabilities. Indiana must present itself as a welcoming state where international companies want to invest their capital and where people from around the world can come, contribute, and build prosperous lives. All Hoosiers must be supported to maximize their chances to thrive and contribute to the state’s prosperity.
2.1 STRENGTHEN THE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR GLOBAL EMPLOYABILITY
The Indiana Language Roadmap recognizes that the intersection of economic development and a multilingual and globally competent workforce is required for a wide range of sectors to successfully provide services, attract talent, retain qualified employees, and succeed in importing, exporting, manufacturing, trade, service, and finance.
- Increase career preparation and global employability skills by building internship offerings that mutually meet workforce needs and offer secondary and post-secondary students opportunities to further their language proficiency and intercultural skills
- Consider the state’s new graduation pathways for high school students as opportunities to gain 21st century skills, including developing pathways and employability learning experiences that require and promote global competencies
- Provide global workforce skills training through Career and Technical Education programs and Ivy Tech Community College
- Collaborate with employers and Human Resources professionals to define the need for global employability skills and to prioritize these skills in job descriptions and when seeking appropriate talent
- Work with certification, professional licensing, and credentialing entities to develop more career opportunities for heritage speakers and new Hoosiers that utilize language and intercultural skills
2.2 TRAIN SERVICE PROVIDERS
As Indiana becomes more welcoming to international businesses and citizens of the world, it will need to strengthen the capacity of Hoosier service providers, including law enforcement, the justice system, healthcare, social services, and local school systems. To bridge gaps in professional programs and professional development, Indiana’s workforce needs to utilize services that teach intercultural and cross-language competencies.
- Develop training materials specific to services and sectors that address gaps
- Promote and grow training opportunities that align language proficiency and intercultural skills with sector needs (e.g. certification programs for medical, court, business interpreters and instructional programs on “Language for Specific Purposes”)
- Assess specific needs of services by working with state associations (e.g., Indiana Hospital Association, Indiana Association of Chiefs of Police)
- Develop “train-the-trainer” programs for various sectors, utilizing online or hybrid instruction as needed
2.3 ADVANCE THE GLOBAL BUSINESS CAPACITY OF INDIANA
There is uneven support across the state to advance the priorities of businesses by expanding into new global markets, increasing international operations, and enhancing the capabilities of employees through greater access to needed resources, training, and expertise. By creating an environment that values a globally competent workforce and offers services and a comprehensive quality of place for diverse populations, Indiana can better attract and retain foreign owned businesses and those with foreign direct investment.
- Design a database of global business services (such as translation, legal, accounting, logistics, marketing, cultural training, and college/university programs) available across the state
- Develop new and promote existing global business seminars to provide best practices in developing a global market and to provide training in critical issues for enhancing global engagement of businesses, to be held across all regions of the state
- Collaborate with local Chambers of Commerce, Indiana Economic Development Corporation, Indiana Small Business Development Centers, and others to leverage and align new and existing opportunities available for businesses
- Encourage the creation of and facilitate membership in regional trade groups and networks for information sharing, best practices education, opportunity exploration, joint ventures and collaboration, and resource sharing
- Advertise and leverage resources to better connect Indiana’s offerings for diverse populations with international workers
- Develop high-quality resources and open source trainings that businesses can access to support global engagement